The Message marked up another win in a feature race at the Port Mourant Turf Club on Sunday in the Emancipation Day horse race meet before a packed arena.
Ridden by Paul Delph, The Message was in exceptional form, toying with its rivals before beating them by eight lengths in the B class event. The Elcock Stable took away the coveted $500,000 first prize and the Shook’s Import and Export Guyana Star Memorial Trophy for the 1800m race. Laura Lee in Flight finished a distant second place with newly-imported Prince Charming and Silver Source rounding out the money. The three-year-old co-feature Derby event for horses bred and born in Guyana and the West Indies was as exciting as the feature event with Sabrina Princess of the Jagdeo Stable upsetting pre-race favourites Peaceful and Celebration Time of the Elcock Stable in the 1700m event to take away the $400,000 first prize. Celebration Time ran in second ahead of Five Star General while Peaceful was fourth.
The Jagdeo Stable continued to churn out top performers on the day when Better than Gold gained a second win in the two-year-old event for horses bred and born in Guyana and the West Indies. It galloped away with $300,000. Sabrina’s Joy and Zodiac Princess were the others trailing. The E class event was taken by The Gap to win the $250,000 first prize, compliments of Jumbo Jet and Ramdeen Pancham over 1300m; while Sweet Revenge, Maracas Star and Madame Butterfly were second, third and fourth respectively. Maracas Star of the Jumbo Jet Stable returned, however, to win the G class event ahead of Stylish Line, Prixie Fire and Zip A Dee Do Dah to cart off $220,000. The race was run over 1200m and sponsored by the Customs Racing Stable for the Mohammed Shawkhan Memorial Trophy.
The Digicel sponsored I class event was won by Zebra of the Rumour’s Racing Stable to ride off with $120,000 in the 1300m race. The I-3 maiden event, which was also sponsored by Digicel, was taken by Graphic of the Deroop Stable with the top prize being $110,000 over 1300m. The Jagdeo Stable produced horses that claimed two wins and two second places and was declared the champion stable.
Trainer Tribouwhan ‘Turbo’ Jagdeo was crowned champion trainer while Jockey Rupert Ramnauth, riding out of the Jagdeo Stable, was adjudged the top jockey on show.
They received trophies, compliments of Nafico/Nalico and Trophy Stall, Bourda Market. Over $3.6 million in prizes and trophies were up for the taking at the day’s race meet.